The present invention relates to a clothing shield, and more particularly to a disposable clothing shield that protects clothing from stains and is visibly masked through the clothing.
There are various types of clothing shields, and they include both disposable and reusable types. Generally, they comprise a liquid-impervious outer cover and an absorbent medium attached thereto. In the past, these shields have generally been made of a cloth-like material and/or a cellulosic material. More recently, some shields have included thermoplastic materials in their structure.
Although current clothing shields have improved performances over earlier shields, they still possess several inherent disadvantages. For example, those that have increased absorbency due to added absorbent material are generally bulky and uncomfortable when worn in the underarm area.
Closely related to the problem of bulkiness and uncomfortable fit or feeling to the wearer is the fact that the bulkiness can provide a bulge at the underarm area that is visually discernible by others. This is another disadvantage to the wearer of this type shield. Discreetness of the shield is a paramount concern.
Another problem with current clothing shields is that the external surface, generally one side of the liquid-impervious outer cover, is visually discernible through the clothing of the wearer. Either the geometric shape is outlined through the clothing, or a particular design pattern on the outer cover is reflected through the clothing.
As with any type of underclothing, it is highly desirable that the article be comfortable to the wearer and not visible to others.